Electric ignition system for explosion-motors.



v R. VARLEY. ELECTRIC IGNITION SYSTEM ron EXPLosIoN Mn'rons.

` v APPLICATION TILBD SEPT. 23, 1905.

i 40 the switchin ment to anot er, the cuil'entl from the source UNITED s'rArEs PATENT onrioii.

Bierman va'nLnY; or'iiNGLnwoon; New massig, Assr'GNor. 'ro THE au'rocon.

' centralina conrorwrrou or New JERSEY.'

ELECTRIC IGNITION SYSTEM EUR EXPLOSION-110120115.

To all whom, 'it may concern: f

Beit known that I, Riciiiim VARLEY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Eni' glewood, in the county ofBergen and State 5 of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Igniv tion Systems for Explosion -Motors, of

e which the following is a full', clear, and exnot description.

This invention relates to ignition systems for explosion motors and has'special reference to that class of systems wherein the igniting spark is furnished by n magneto e ectric machine.

It has been found in ractice that a magneto electric machine ofPthe same voltage as a battery will not support the ignition with the same exactness and certainty as the oattery; particularly is thisthe `case where a.

multi e cylinder engine is used. I The rey son for this is that current supplied by the batt 'is constant, its full voltage being availa e at the instantpf a closure of its' circliit, whereas in the dynamo the current is not constant; that is to say after a break inits circuit, an appreciable time is required t1) enable it to build-up"its"electiomotive force, so that its full electro-motive force is not immediately available upon the closure of the circuit.

In the operation of Vexplosion motors of the multiple cylinder t it is customary to use a switching device tween the source of electricity and the various cylinders, the said switching device having segments correspondi-ng to the respective cylinders and having a moving` element adapted 'to cop` crate with the segments and connect with t e source of current.. As this moving part of device passes from one segis momentarily brokenk and in case of a d amo, and particularly of -a magneti ectric machine, the cessation of the current` creates a self-induction in the currents of f the armature which prevents the instantaneous building up of the current when the circuit is again completed. This action results in irregular, unreliable and weak 5D sparkin f at the instant when the spark is require to be hottest. To overcome this de-A fect iiiV themagneto machine it has been cus tomafry to constructthemtodeliver higher voltages that, are actually required for the.

spark, resulting in a heavier and more ex- Specicatlon of lettera Patent. Patented A131-, 19, Y1910, Application Med September 23, 1905. Serial No. 279,775. 7

pensive machine. The defectnotcd isvp'resent more particularly' in small machines such as are used` for ignition purposes. In order to overcome this defect without the necessity of buildings' larger and more eX- pensive machine, I have modified thc switching apparatus which is interposed between the dynamo and the engine cylinders in such a way that thc current, whi c being shifted from one circuit to another, is never interrupted atthe dynamo, the modification consisting in overlapping the adjacent extremities of the contact segments of the switch, in such a way that the circuit is established through one segment before it is broken through the other.

In the accompanying drawing the figure is u conventional representation of thev apparatus and circuits comprisedA in my inven' tion."

, A Arepresents a dynamo or magneto-electri'c machine supplying current for a four-cylinder explosion motor.

Al."represents a distributing switch com-l prismg a ring made up' of four conducting segments b, b", b2 and b3 and a trailer or colitact crush c carried by a rotating shaft ci.

This shaft and the machine A are supposed U to be driven by the motor or engine.

e, e', e and e are, respectively, four minclude vibrators f and the secondary circuits terminating in the cylinders of the engine which arenot shown, inV ai suitable spar g plug or other ignition device indicated. by the gaps g` The segments b., b', b? .and b' of the switch are dat bands having their adjacent ends severed dia l'onally or lobliquely so as to overlap each ot er in such a manner that the tip of the brush which is arranged transversely of the strips will pass into contact'with one segment before it leaves the other.

The circuit from the machine A leads by wire 1 to the shaft c' thence to the brush c, then to one or two of the segments, depending upon the osition of the brush, then to one or two oft e primary windings of the i n duction coil, over the wires 2, 3, 4 or 5, then througlra vibrator or vibrators f; then by wie or wires 6, 7 8 or 9 to a return con- 'ductor 10 leadingback to the machine. In

the position of the switch shown the curient leadsfrom `the dynamo through the primary gliding by induction e I alone, the corre duction coils, the primary circuits of which spending vibrator fis supposed to be' in activity and the induced currents are supplying a. spark at the gap g in the sec,

Vondary circuit. thebrsh c leads to segment b and passes into they segment the connection with b is made before it isbroken with I), thus permitting the current generated by the' machine A to flow uninterruptedly, so that at theinstant the brush touches the segment b', thefnll electro-motive force of themachine will be-delivered to the primary-Winding of the induction coil e and a 7 spark of maximum heat and body will at ,ence appear at the gap in the secondary circuit of this 'induction coil, the action of the machine being the same as that of a battery.

l am aware that `there is nothing especially new in the construction of the switching apparatus B, but'I believe I am the first to provide the combination of apparatusand circuits described for an ignition system.

n ie Qbveas, am my of are usual modifications of 'theswitching apparatus may be `adopted in place of the specific construction shown. "For instance instead ofthe terminals f the segments being obliquely arranged, the end of the trailing brushV may be so arranged or the brush may be in' the` Y -orm of a two-part or double roller, one

following'the other inthe direction of movement. Vln fact any mechanical arrangement whereby the'circmt throughone circuit will be established before it is severed through the other, may begidopted.

1. ln combination with a plurality of induction coils having primary and secondary windings, spark .plugs in the circuits of said secondary windings, a dynamo electric generator having said primary Wind ings successively for its exclusive external circuit, -a circuit-controlling v .:levice including a plurality of concentric segments respectively connected to tlwsaid primary windings and diagonally formed 'so as to overlap at their ends, and a` blade revolving therewithin and connected to said generator, whereby the circuits of said primary Ywindings are broken in succession, While the external circuit of the generator is never broken.

2. In combination with a plurality of induction coils comprising primary and secondary windings, a dynamo-electric generator having continuously at least one of said primary windings in its external circuit, normally open partial circuits each including one of said secondary windings, spark plugs in said circuits, a circuit controlling device comprising a plurality of conductive parts respectively connected to the said primary windings, and means coperating with said device and electrically connected tosaid generator for successively interrupting the flow of current through-said primary .windings while permitting a continuous iiow of current through th,J external circuitof said. generator. y

3. In combination with a plurality of in duction coils comprising primary and secondary windings, a dynamo-electric gener# -ator having continuously at least one of said primary n indingsv in its extrnal circuit, normally open partial circuits each inail-uding one of said secondary windings, spark plugs in said circuits, a ,circuit controlling device comprising a plurality of conductive parts respectively connected to said primary windings, and means coperating with said y device and electrically connected to said generator -or interrupting the flow of cur-l rent through each and every one-of said primary windingsh in sequence, while permitting a continuous flow of current through,

the external circuit of 'said generator'.-

In witness whereof, I subscribe my siglVALno M. CnAPxN.' 

